James B. Duke Residence (Institute of Fine Arts, NYU)

In 1907, James Buchanan Duke married for the second time, to Nanaline Holt Inman. Two years later, he purchased the expansive Henry H. Cook mansion at the corner of 5th Avenue and 78th Street for his new bride. Duke originally planned to renovate the Victorian mansion, but soon changed his mind and decided to demolish the home and build something completely new.

To build the new home, Duke retained Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer, who was known for building palatial homes. The massive new home, built to resemble a French chateau, featured a large main hall as well as eight bedrooms located on the second floor. A third floor, hidden from the street by a balustrade, was reserved for servants' quarters.

For most of the twentieth century, the home was more famous for its association with Doris Duke, the daughter of James. At his death, Doris inherited roughly $50 million.The home, however, became the focus of a legal battle due to Duke's curiously worded will. Ultimately, fourteen-year-old Doris had to sue her mother for ownership of the New York mansion. By the time of her twenty-first birthday, she was believed to be the wealthiest young woman in the world. Doris was married and divorced several times and lived in the home with her mother between marriages.

It was Doris who donated the home to New York University in 1958. The former Duke residence remains the home of the university's Institute of Fine Arts. Under the new owner, the mansion was renovated and is a New York City Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gray, Christopher . Streetscapes/The Duke Chateau; A Grand, Sophisticated 1912 House Crumbling Away, New York Times . Accessed August 25th 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/23/realestate/streetscapes-the-duke-chateau-a-grand-sophisticated-1912-house-crumbling-away.html?src=pm.

Miller , Tom . The 1912 James B. Duke Mansion--No. 1 East 78th Street, Daytonian in Manhattan . July 17th 2012. Accessed August 25th 2020. http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/07/1912-james-b-duke-mansion-no-1-east.html.

Gordon, Meryl . Reconsidering Doris Duke, the Debutante who Broke all the Rules , New York Times . April 7th 2020. Accessed August 25th 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/books/review/sallie-bingham-doris-duke.html.